Thanks for downloading or streaming this new episode of The Priory Podcast. On this episode I had the pleasure of Philip Parker, historian and author of the superbly researched book; The Northmens' Fury, which chronicles the history of the Vikings in meticulous detail due to Philips dedication to research and study of historical documents ranging from the numerous Viking Sagas, Anglo-Saxon Chronicles and archeological evidence.
On this episode Philip and I explore some of the most prominent parts of the Viking history.
We discuss the emergence of the Vikings and the infamous attack on Lindisfarne in 793ad which pretty much brought the Vikings to the attention of the ruling elite in England. We discuss what life must have been like in the Viking homelands that inspired these adventures into the unknown and violent raids on foreign shores.
Philip also takes us through history's most prominent Vikings and Viking Battles, mainly associated with attacks on the English shores, although interspersed with some fantastic 'inter-Viking' battles like that of Harald Bluetooth of Denmark versus Hakon the Good of Norway.
We also talk about the more familiar names in Ragnar Lothbrok and Ivar The Boneless, names brought to the attention of the general public through the hit TV show; History Channels - Vikings.
We also discuss the interesting facts behind the settlement of Iceland, which then leads into some quick fire questions around some of the more 'embellished' parts of Viking folklore such as the Berserkers, Shield Maidens and the Blood Eagle torture method.
We close with a look at the Viking conversion to Christianity and potential correlation to the slow decline in Viking raids throughout Europe.

To say we only scratched the surface in this 1 hour plus episode would be an understatement, but for anybody interested in a more researched history of the Vikings, then I can fully recommend Philips book as the perfect starting place.

Hope you enjoy this episode and please leave comments or feedback on the www.thanktheuniverse.org website or any of my social media pages:
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It's much appreciated.